Veteran Zimbabwean novelist, Barbara C. Makhalisa has a new novel which is a thought-provoking masterpiece.
In Gqabula, Makhalisa’s masterful command of the Ndebele language is on full display, as she weaves a tapestry that is both rich and eye-catching. Through a unique style and gripping plot, the author creates a truly unforgettable reading experience.
Phindani Nhliziyo, studying at a university in the UK, receives the devastating news from home in Zimbabwe that her father has died a sudden death due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
She finds it difficult to accept the news.
She does not have money to come home for the burial. This saddens her to the foundation of her being. She starts waiting for the pictures and videos of his father’s burial.
The author stresses that “Kubuhlungu ukungabikhona kungcwatshwa umzali” (It is painful to be absent during the burial of your parent).
After two days of mourning, Phindani receives the terrible news that her mother has also passed away! She is devastated.
Her university friends come to console her, but all is in vain because she is so much distressed.
Her male friend, one Thamsanqa, ends up offering her wine to console her. She drinks too much wine, and she gets to be more than drunk. Thamsanqa, who has always had a secret and unbearable admiration for Phindani, has sex with her when she is unconscious. She does not know that Thamsanqa has impregnated her too! This is the blind spot that drives this story.
And that is the catch.
Phindani soon travels home for her mother’s burial. She is distressed in such a way that her past depression comes back.
Before going to study at UK she had actually been involved in a human trafficking scandal in which she and her friends had been tricked through a scholarship scam. They were transported to Dubai but when they got there, things changed. They were abused and raped. Although she had escaped, the scandal disturbed Phindani’s mind and that is when her constant depression started.
Back home, neighbours and villagers misinterpret Phindani’s depression and consider her a lunatic. MaNsimbi, one of the neighbours, says “uhlanya loluyana luyahlala luluhlupho lunjalo” (That lunatic person will always be problematic). Through MaDube, one of the villagers who seem to understand issues of depression, the author expertly teaches us that depression is like other health conditions such as diabetes, high Blood Pressure and it should be treated as such without any exaggeration.
The rise of suicide cases in Zimbabwe reveals that depression is a reality. The poor economic conditions in the country expose many citizens to depression but very few people understand the whole facts about this terrible condition.
Phindani slowly recovers at home with the help of doctors. Thamsanqa proposes love to Phindani over the phone from the UK. He tells her how much he loves her.
Phindani loves him too, but she wants to take her time before she could confess her love. However, during one of her visits to the Doctor, Phindani receives the shocking news that she is pregnant!
She denies it.
As far as she is concerned, the last time she slept with a man is when she was raped in Dubai, some time ago. She thinks the doctor is being mischievous or something. She consults another doctor, and the report remains the same.
She is in a state of confusion. Her depression gets worse, and she feels her dreams of going back to university in a few days are shattered. She makes a prayer where she pours out her heart to her God thus: “Nkosi, angikuzwisisi lokhu engikutshelwe ngudokotela. Wena uyangazi Nkosi. Ngimsulwa. Kambe sengihlanya na njengoba bevele behlala besithi ezami sezithanca. Nguwe owaziyo Nkosi” (Lord, I do not understand what the doctor has told me. You know me, Lord. I am innocent. Perhaps I am now a lunatic as they always say. You are the one who knows Lord). Through the prayer (Psychological realism), the author helps the reader explore the mental state or inner lives of the characters.
Thamsanqa assures Phindani that he is ready to be the father of her child. How will the truth of the sex incident come out? You read on with great expectations. Will Phindani be happy again? The story becomes complicated when Phindani delivers an albino baby who is stolen in Bulawayo before they are discharged from the hospital. The kidnappers have planned that the child will be sold to those who need albinos for ritual purposes. Many albinos in African societies live in fear of this.
The novel continues with these twists and turns, and you will fail to put it down. The secrets and the misfortunes compete against each other, but you know that the veteran author is at work here. Warning: Barbara Makhalisa is one of the earliest women writers of Zimbabwe… She will harangue you with plots and counterplots.
Written in the vibrant and catchy Ndebele language, the novel helps to navigate through the diverse forces of life in Zimbabwe and perhaps in Africa. Makhalisa demonstrates a unique ability to navigate the tapestry and intricacies of human experiences, DNA tests and other experiences.
You tremble with the novel in your hands. Some experiences are breath-taking, and some are eye opening.
The writer uses psychological realism, and stream of consciousness techniques which effectively propel the plot, explain the story and help the reader explore the mental state or inner lives of the characters. This helps the reader to explore the philosophical implications of human existence.
The characters in this book are meticulously crafted, with nuanced personalities that leap off the page and into real life.
They could be people you know or meet on the street, with all the complexity and intrigue that comes with being human.
As a mirror of the society, the writer’s vivid descriptions of the current economic hardships and their consequences are both poignant and unflinching, offering a stark and unromanticised view of the past and present struggles faced by the Ndebele/Zimbabwean people.
The issue of Gukurahundi is subtly brought in but that Gukurahundi had devastating effects on the people of Matabeleland is made clear. In the novel, teachers are conducting extra lessons in their houses in order to earn a living. This has become the order of the day in real life. The meagre salaries that most civil servants are earning cannot sustain families. Water shortages in Bulawayo have also become the order of the day. The writer depicts this very well together with the issue of load shedding which has affected many businesses.
The writer also depicts that poverty in the country has fuelled family disintegration as some members have opted to go for what they think are greener pastures in the diaspora. Thamsanqa is a university student, but he does various jobs outside the University in order to make ends meet. In times of depression, family members are not there to give you comfort. Friends become like the only available close family members, but this has its consequences.
The title of the book, Gqabula! is based on the miraculous hope which can break all shackles. This book is a triumph, and I highly recommend it to anyone seeking a thought-provoking and deeply moving reading experience.
This book is an invaluable resource for those studying Ndebele literature at high school or University and to anyone who seeks to understand Ndebele people’s lived experiences. The book provides valuable insights into Ndebele or Zimbabwean people’s lived experiences as a whole. Barbara Makhalisa is a teacher by training, Ndebele translator, novelist, editor and publisher, one of the earliest female writers published in Zimbabwe. She is the author of many books written in Ndebele, as well as in English, of which some have been used as school textbooks.
About the reviewer
- Dr Lickel Ndebele is a Lecturer in the Department of Languages Literature and Culture at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) where she teaches and researches in Ndebele Literature and Language.
- To purchase the book, consult info@bcmnliterarytrust.org or Barbara Makhalisa on 0772231304.
